Light up Lewes! – residents light up their homes and sing from their balconies and windows during lockdown

The project, conceived by Fireraisers Theatre Company’s Polly Wiseman aimed to celebrate the resilience and joie de vivre of the town and its people. The challenge - to celebrate ‘togetherness while apart’, – received a heartening response, with musicians, sheltered housing communities, Zoom choirs, ukulele groups, families, shops and local businesses each making their own distinctive contributions. A bonfire maroon, ignited at 9pm by Commercial Square Bonfire Society and heard across the town, announced the start of the event, the cue for Harveys Brewery, Depot Community Cinema and Lewes Castle to light up, joined by houses and shops across the town. A second maroon was the signal to start singing ‘Sussex by the Sea’ together, from doorways, front gardens, balconies and rooftops. The celebration was captured on broadcast quality cameras by crews moving rapidly across the town. Many others recorded their own contributions on smart phones, for inclusion in an archive video that will provide a permanent record of a memorable evening. This will be shown later in the year at a special screening at Depot Community Cinema. “I was amazed at the enthusiasm and diverse responses that we received from individuals and groups. The initiative has been a really positive celebration of the community of which we are so proud in Lewes; and a record of an extraordinary chapter in the town’s history” explained director Polly.